We Failed Amber Heard: An Astrological Portrait of Mass Deception and the Failure to Believe Women

With the ash having settled from the Depp v. Heard trial, I want to explore a loaded question: why don’t we believe women? The natal chart of this trial paints an evocative portrait of the grotesque intersection between public opinion, misogyny, and deception.

 Before diving in, here is a brief retelling of the circumstances: Johnny Depp (Depp) sued Amber Heard (Heard) for defamation arising from a 2018 article in the Washington Post titled I spoke up against sexual violence – and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change. While Heard’s name is listed as author, it would later come out that the ACLU penned the piece (to which they later testified). Depp is not mentioned by name in the article. Previously, Depp lost a libel lawsuit against British tabloid The Sun, who printed in 2018 that he was a “wife beater”. Note that in the U.K., it is notoriously hard to win libel suits if you are a publication. As part of the trial, evidence of Depp’s abuse (as provided by Heard’s team) was found to be “substantially true.”  The Sun continues to label Depp a “wife beater” in all articles run about him.

 So, Depp sued Heard for defamation because of an article in which is he not named and sued Heard (not the ACLU or The Washington Post) to the tune of $50 million dollars, money he knew she didn’t have. Depp asserted that Heard partook in a years-long, elaborate hoax against him, and that she had violently abused him.

 The trial began on April 11, 2022, in Fairfax, VA. Based on the Fairfax County Circuit Court’s scheduled start times for civil cases that commence on a Monday, we can reasonably assume a 10:00am event time.

 Here are the most notable observations of the chart, paired with a recounting of the climate and media blitz surrounding the case:

 Gemini ASC. The amount of documentation, recordings, soundbites, testimony, etc. speaks to the energy of Gemini. Like most cases, this was information heavy. It also represents how, months later, views on the trial are shifting. Views on the case shifted in real time as well. An absolute flurry of opinion, which I must note substantially differs from fact. Gossip is also firmly in the Gemini ballpark.

Sagittarius is the 7th house, in part representing how the case was viewed from the perspective of the other. While the public forum lives in the 11th house, the collection of personal perspective in the 7th galvanized how the trial came to be viewed by the masses (trine). Sagittarius operates on belief, specifically societal/overarching belief, which also substantially differs from fact. The reactions to Heard were mostly formed from gut. And the collective gut reaction to a woman alleging abuse against a publicly admired man is to not believe her. And to place upon her the burden of having to be the “perfect” victim in order to be taken seriously. (Recordings of Heard criticizing and belittling Depp were justifiably awful to hear. Descriptions of her own erratic and violent behavior were also justifiably appalling. But policing a woman’s response to abuse, limiting her to a narrow set of expectations, represents a metastasized societal tendency to silence women who speak up.)

Mercury in Taurus in the 12th house. Ruler of the ASC in the 12th house exacerbates difficulties around understanding. In Taurus, Mercury has a slow and thorough approach to information, antithetical to the Gemini rush. Mercury is the only personal planet in Earth here, and hanging in the 12th, indicates that information spread born out of practical application of the facts was hard to come by. Mercury in the 12th can also indicate a degree of hidden information, lies, mistellings, and misgivings. The public couldn’t know all there was to know but postured as if it did anyway. Declarative statements of Heard’s guilt, her sociopathic tendencies, her body (Taurus) language (Mercury)—all contributed to Heard’s now damaged reputation.

Many times, Heard was called a liar, her words picked over with a finely judgmental comb. For instance, the kerfuffle around whether Heard “donated” or “pledged” money to the ACLU. She used these words synonymously. Yet in cross examination, she was unfairly grilled about if she actually gave all of what she intended to give to the ACLU. She pledged several million to the ACLU, to be donated over the course of many years. ACLU would later confirm this agreement and confirm that they had already received one million from Heard. This was not a gotcha moment. But the public ran with it as if it was.

So, see, in the 12th house, Mercury is subject to subterfuge and vagaries. A simple semantic error, despite evidence to the contrary, was held against Heard. (Note how Depp’s sarcastic remarks and smirks were publicly lauded, while Heard’s testimony and delivery was routinely mocked).

Mercury forms an out of sign square to Pluto, which deepens cruelty of speech and spiteful bandwagoning. Men’s rights groups and sympathizers, formed in the fallout of the Me Too movement, used this trial and the public humiliation of Heard to strengthen a fundamental tenet of their cause: women lie, and men are the real victims. The corrosive nature of Pluto undermined a Venus narrative. (Men can be victims of domestic abuse. But anti-Heard groups campaigned less on that legitimacy, and more on vitriol for women and reclamation of power over them.)

Jupiter and Neptune conjunct in the 10th house. This is perhaps the most telling area of the chart. On this day, Jupiter and Neptune were in an exact conjunction at 23 degrees of Pisces. They were also forming an exact square to the Gemini ASC at 23 degrees. In my view, this set up ensured there was no way Heard would have a fair trial. The Jupiter-Neptune conjunction is one of hype, mass confusion and ubiquity. The way this trial played out on social media was the most evocative manifestation of this planetary mirage. No matter where you went on the Internet, you were bombarded with footage of this trial. On social media particularly, campaigns against and jokes at the expense of Heard went viral. Jupiter is an expansive energy, made even more powerful by its dignified placement in Pisces. Jupiter is the bully pulpit.  And Neptune infused that platform lies and falsehoods that spread quickly. There was no seeing anything clearly or objectively. Jupiter with Neptune created both the negative hype around Heard, and the positive, almost hero-worship, hype around Depp. In the 10th house, this conjunction forms the legacy of this case.

The square to the ASC from both planets worsened misunderstanding and fueled the media circus. With Jupiter square a Gemini angle we see both information overload and aggrandizement. With Neptune square a Gemini angle we see glamorization and deception. The collection of small lies and misconceptions (Gemini) over time can be regarded as the truth (Jupiter).

As a personal aside, I, and maybe you, fell victim to the narrative spins of this trial. Tweets and Tik-Toks inundated me with a one-sided take: Heard was the villain. Regretfully, I ran with that. Under a Jupiter-Neptune conjunction, it is easier to drink the Kool-Aid. While I never steeped so low as to publicly mock her, sign petitions against her, or engage passionately in her humiliation (that I know of…we all absent-mindedly ‘like’ questionable takes on Twitter)—I still regret second guessing her. I was an unwitting accomplice in a culture that bashes women. Even pretty, white, and wealthy women. That’s just the programing we absorb. I am happy I exposed myself to information that in turn exposed my blind spots and inspired this piece.  

Sun in Aries in the 11th house, with Chiron. The life of this case was firmly steeped in public opinion and spectacle. The razzle dazzle of a celebrity trial. But the presence of Chiron amplified a public pain. In one interpretation, this can represent Heard having to re-live difficult events for the entire world to see. Heard’s own natal Mercury in Aries formed a conjunction to Chiron, representing speaking about and reflecting upon one’s own pain. Heard’s natal Chiron in Gemini is another astrological avenue through which we see salting of her wounds—on display in the 1st house of the trial chart. In another more symbolic interpretation, Chiron here can represent a societal wounding—what humanity still must heal. And that is the way that we treat women.

Moon in Leo in the 3rd house. This Moon placement underscores the entertainment element of this case. The soulful purpose of this case having been to bring things into visibility, to give them attention (Leo). The Moon can also, at least here, point towards the embodiment of the feminine. So, the Moon’s opposition to a dignified Saturn in Aquarius, representing the patriarchy at large, insists upon a contentious relationship between these polarities—what is traditional in a man’s world, and what is suffered as a woman in a man’s world. The Moon’s need for care is neglected when facing off with Saturn like this. Law, order, and courtrooms are a 9th house topic. Strengthen by a rigid Saturn, Heard ultimately fell victim to the larger patriarchal industrial complex (remember those rigid and narrow expectations mentioned above?) . The soul of this case was fundamentally weakened by long-standing system that reinforces the subjugation of women. Note also that the 9th house can be where we find firmly entrenched belief (especially with Saturn-rulership and presence), and the 3rd house is where we find individual perception that can run counter to these beliefs. In the end, Heard’s testimony wasn’t sufficient enough to crack a centuries-old, cemented view on women and the legitimacy of their stories.

Mars and Venus conjunct the MC. The midheaven of this chart sits between Venus and Mars. Instantly I thought of the classic he-said, she-said dynamic, with both Venus and Mars elevated and insistent on telling their sides of things. Also, this case hinged upon domestic abuse. Mars is violence and Venus is relationship. Venus is exalted in the sign of Pisces, which you may think is good here. But remember that close-by, Jupiter and Neptune sat in their intoxicating conjunction, sending tumultuous waves through the waters Venus found itself in. Mars on the other hand was conjunct Saturn in Aquarius. Venus’s placement in Pisces may have been more influenced by Jupiter-Neptune falsehoods, subjecting Heard (the woman) to widespread disbelief. Pisces is also far more impressionable than Aquarius, becoming whatever you view it as, or at the very least inspiring confusion. So, Venus was also subject to misconception and projection. We saw Heard how we wanted to see Heard. Venus was also unaspected by any other major planet, creating a quality of elusiveness that could be read as deceit. Mars on the other hand is in a fixed sign and supported by conjunction to Saturn. Mars also sees and influences the ASC via trine. The Saturn-tinged Mars outlook flowed more smoothly. Mars also formed a sextile to the Sun in Aries and ruled the 11th house. In the most basic terms, the man’s perspective won here through simple dominance of energy. And it didn’t matter if that perspective was founded upon misogyny and malice. We are more keen to believe that Heard was the evil mastermind behind a complex and years-long scheme to bring down Depp than we are to believe that Depp abused Heard point blank.

To add, asteroid Juno, which symbolizes marriage and partnership, was between Mars and Saturn at the time, giving a leg up to Depp’s experience of the marriage over Heard’s experience.

Saturn square the North Node (NN) in Taurus. Saturn sat at 22 degrees of Aquarius and formed an exact square to the NN in Taurus, also at 22 degrees. In short, Saturn could be seen here as obstructing the free flow of collective growth towards Taurean ideals. Amplification of the divine feminine is one of those. And that can include respecting women, security for women. With the NN in the 12th house, no doubt this case had and will have a continuing impact on the collective, even if imperceptible for now…with the Saturn square representing a kind of harsh redirect of fate. When Depp won, many feminist activists warned that his victory could start a slow regression of woman’s rights, that it could mark the end of what has been achieved under the Me Too movement. It was not only a loss for Heard, but a loss for women everywhere.

The 12th house highlights marginalized communities, segments of society that are thrown over to the margins. There is no light in the 12th. And if this sounds dramatic, think about all that has been stripped away from women this year alone, from the Roe v. Wade reversal to the stripping of rights from women in Afghanistan to the gender-based violence resulting from the war in Ukraine. When the nodes are in play, these individual events add up in remarkably important ways.

***

Reader, I hope this has been a valuable intellectual and spiritual exercise for you. I hope that you were able to learn more about how Astrology works in real life, through humans and events, and ground some of what can feel abstract at times. Moreover, I hope this has poked a restless nerve in you, that it can help you rewrite or at least think more critically about the narratives we hold about and against women. May this trial be a critical learning moment that helps embolden, not erode, women’s rights, women’s value, and women’s stories.

Reframing Gemini: The Sign That Yearns Most for Love

(I started looking at the archetypes of the signs and reframing how we have come to view them as strictly this or strictly that. I've come to find a lot of wiggle room and nuance in them. This time, I talk about Gemini, the archetype of orphan and why they are the ultimate lovers of the zodiac. Check out my reframing of Capricorn and Aquarius!)

Gemini has earned a contentious reputation in modern Astrology as the sign of backstabbers and face dancers. At best, they are social butterflies, the jack of all trades but master of none. At worst, they are fake, two-faced, and devious. In more evolutionary and studied terms, they are wordsmiths, purveyors of information and communicators, flitting back and forth between ideas and beliefs, never quite settling on a firm ideology. Gemini as mutable air in a society that prefers black and whites, this or thats, yes or nos—is threatening. The perceived duplicitousness of this sign is not done in malice, but rather in aversion to absolutes. But beyond notions of gray matter and gab, beyond tricksters and hipsters, the heart of Gemini has more or less eluded people. As mutable air would, the more soulful and loving core of Gemini has become a ghost, imperceptible, but always lurking if you’d dare coax it. So, allow me to briefly resurrect.

The myth of Gemini involves Castor and Pollux, Greek demigods and twin sons of Zeus (or Jupiter!). They were so inseparable, so close that when one of them died, the other asked to be immortalized in the sky right next to him. As such, they came to represent the duality between life and death, between Hades and Mt. Olympus. This introduces us to the archetype of the divine twin, opposites that come to represent the whole. Gemini as bridge between spectrums, a connector. In an evolutionary theory of the zodiac, where Aries is the burst of life, and Taurus is life crystallized, Gemini enters as curiosity, a spark of awareness. Gemini is the soul seeking to understand itself through thought. And it is in this stage that Gemini is introduced to the other, that there are other sparks of awareness sparking with awareness. We can see this in the fact that Gemini is the first sign to have humans as representation, two humans, where Aries and Taurus are both personified animals. This is where the existence of relationship is born—with Gemini.

Contextualizing Gemini within the inception of human relationship is integral in reframing this sign, modernly seen as flippant and unable to commit, a collector of human interactions versus a wholehearted participant in them. In fact, the soul of the Gemini yearns deeply to connect, because without the other, Gemini simply doesn’t exist. It is here that the twin nature of Gemini need not only represent the solo swims between polarities, but also, or rather*,* the search for the other. It is through a mirror that we come into full understanding of self. The Gemini is searching for someone to relate to (etymology of relationship contains ‘relate’), and thus this spark is the birth of primordial love—because with Gemini, there is no life without another, without understanding and relating to another. Could it be that the apparent socialness and chattiness of this sign is this search for other in action? Gemini is indeed guided by a restlessness for interaction that can be informed by this deep need for relationship, whether they are conscious of that or not. Could it also be that the boredom associated with this sign is merely the absence of true connection, of true soul stimulation?

Back to the myth, Castor and Pollux demonstrated profound brotherly love and sacrifice to be with one another. As demigods of friendship, whenever their stars were bright in the sky, ancient Romans knew they had cosmic favor on their side. Gemini orients to the world through this same fraternity and compassion. In the traditional Rider-Waite tarot deck, Gemini is illustrated as the lovers. Though steeped in controversial religion and dogma that I will not indulge, this card can be seen as two individuals, perhaps Adam and Eve, God’s first human creations, reaching out to each other over the backdrop of Taurus splendor, perhaps the Garden of Eden. Adam was lonely, and thus Eve was created for him. So inherent to the Gemini is this resounding need for company.

That brings us to the archetype of the orphan child. Gemini is often described alongside the character of Peter Pan. Gemini is swift, childlike, silly, full of “lovely wonderful thoughts,” and never wants to grow up. But there is a dark origin story here. In some renderings of the tale, Pan left an orphanage to embark on a series of adventures, later locating his parents only to find that they’d replaced him with another child. He becomes leader of The Lost Boys, a group of misfits all abandoned by their parents. That makes the soul ache. In even darker origin stories, Pan actually kidnapped children from their mothers, desperate for connection and friendship. The confluence between Peter Pan and Gemini is no accident, and I firmly believe that the archetypal resonance between Gemini and Pan is cosmically fact-checked by the tale of Castor and Pollux, cemented centuries before. Both stories simply show the intense desire for relationship, to be seen and heard by the other, to be with the other. Devoid of connection, the Gemini is rendered an orphan child.

A person with strong Gemini in their chart can somehow feel they don’t fit in with their family of origin. This can be because of religious differences, ideological differences, and other jarring differences in worldview than can make the Gemini feel alone, like an orphan. Even the insidious ways parents invalidate the Gemini spark, like forcing a career, or belittling personal taste and style, or burdening the child with adult tasks, can leave a person feeling untethered. In popular orphan child stories like Harry Potter and The Wizard of Oz, the protagonist only comes into full understanding and appreciation of self through others, unconsciously creating familial bonds with people along the way. So too does the Gemini. They demonstrate a powerful drive to connect with others. It is fundamental to the Gemini that they be mirrored, that they be seen, that they be loved. While perhaps picking up many beliefs and ideas, friends and partners along the way, the Gemini’s primary motivation is reunion with their twin. Modern spiritual musings corroborate this further with the invention of phrases like “twin flame” and “mirror soul”. Half-baked romanticisms like “you complete me” further exemplify this search for wholeness by bringing together two separate parts. Even NASA’s Project Gemini was named after a spacecraft built for only two. These are all concepts that are rooted in the myth of Gemini and in the archetype of Gemini.

Gemini offers more than what pop astrology has turned it into. I hope that this reframing has helped you make like a Gemini and change your mind about the Gemini’s in your life, and helps you come into a fuller understanding of the impenetrable soul bond offered by this sign.

I Celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

-Walt Whitman, Gemini Sun

NEW CYCLE ALERT: SOUTH NODE SAGITTARIUS, NORTH NODE GEMINI, and what it means FOR YOU

Extra extra, read all about it!

That’s the energy of Gemini NN to me haha.

On a societal level...

SN in Sagittarius: end of my way or highway soap-boxing, end of dogmatic thinking being accepted as Truth, the illusion of fake news lifting, losses to the way we travel globally, less my way or the high way

NN in Gemini: fact over philosophy and theorizing, able to hold many ideas at once, expanding on the ability to change your mind, common sense, letting new information in

In general, SN Sag is the archetype of a well-traveled and knowledgeable sage, in whatever field, seeking to share what they know. This archetype appears to know it all, about everything, and will make sure you know that. The plus side is what this placement does indeed have a lot to share. The downside is that they don’t listen to other people, factor in the details, and have a hard time separating their ego from their smarts. Marco Polos.

NN Gemini is seeking to be that better listener, to siphon through all the relevant details and facts, to be comfortable learning from others. This placement is community oriented and less about traveling far and wide. Time to be in the present moment, here and now, what matters this second.

On a personal level...

It depends a lot on what houses Sag and Gemini are for you. And if there are planets there.

My basic approach: SN DRAIN, NN GAIN.

So wherever the NN is where we can experience gains, and wherever the SN is where we can experience drains.

Here are some ideas to get you thinking.

ARIES ASC: gains in the third house, drains in the ninth. a period of community oriented endeavors, of letting new ideas permeate your daily life. less lusting after faraway places and lofty mindsets, but letting the here and now spark wonder

TAURUS ASC: gains in the second, drains in the eighth. personal income from your own personal endeavors. make right with what you owe people and get your head around your debt. retooling your beliefs around money and possession.

GEMINI ASC: gains in the first house, drains in the seventh. a period of coming into your own without seeing other people as a necessity in that journey. speaking up for yourself, face forward now, retooling which relationships are needed and which you can jettison

CANCER ASC: gains in the twelfth, drains in the sixth. the daily habits or jobs that once sustained you are becoming beige boring or broken. looking towards the metaphysical to bring back a sense of magic and wonder, and letting that seep into your routines

LEO ASC: gains in the eleventh, drains in the fifth. less about what personally makes you feel good and more about what you can bring to the community to make them feel good. creation needs an audience, be it a piece of work, art, a child or yourself. you may make lifelong friends and associates, time to find your tribe. mingle

VIRGO ASC: gains in the tenth, drains in the fourth. volume is turned up on your place on the world stage. opportunities to bolster your sense of purpose will be abound. you may have to say goodbye to staying small or staying hidden, and bloom past what your family expects of you. an end of the comfort zone.

LIBRA ASC: gains in the ninth, drains in the third. a period of travel, whether journeys of the mind or journeys in real life. commit knowing all there is to know and seeing all there is to see and practicing all there is to practice. this will expand your horizons. true wisdom requires time and a nimble mind. spiritual passages await

SCORPIO ASC: gains in the eighth house, drains in the second. your sense of personal insecurity will be made up for by the graciousness of others. a period of true sharing, investment, and resourceful intimacy. the ways that you waste money or valuables (your time and energy and patience too) will become apparent, and asking for help from others is your best bet

SAG ASC: gains in the seventh house, drains in the first. a period of relationships that can help you reevaluate who you are and where you’re going. not the loss of self sufficiency per se, but the ability to let others co-pilot this stretch

CAP ASC: gains in the sixth, drains in the twelfth. time to be more real world oriented. the isolation that serves you, the spiritual practices that unnerve you, these are to keep and help you become better in life, on the job, and for others. all the other psychic chatter, alienation, trauma, sabotage that does not bolster you must go. break down to build up, not to stay broken. this opens up new ways to be of service, to remain flexible in your duties, and to remain childlike and light as you approach each day

AQUA ASC: gains in the fifth, drains in the eleventh. social exhaust. extraneous friends. arsenals of acquaintances. groups and beliefs you have grown out of. time to spring clean your social networks. a true sense of belonging comes from authenticity of self, and all else that spring from that. opportunities for pleasure, joy, art, creation, romance and love remind you who you are and who is worth keeping around. your own best friend.

PISCES ASC: gains in the fourth, drains in the tenth. a place for solid roots, a home, a family. these are all themes that are of concern. it is less important that you be respected by the world, by your colleagues, than it is that you have a place to relax and retreat, to feel safe and secure, to delight in the smaller successes of comfort, a family dinner, a mortgage in your name, and a place to lay your head. you step down from an authority figure, and are content to just feel content. your mom, your dad, your home.

NOTE that the drain/gain paradigm isn’t black and white. There won’t be complete losses in one area so don’t expect that. Rather, a clearing up, drain, allows for the gains to have space to settle in. For example, Gemini rising draining of relationships that don’t serve gives Gemini rising the space to come into their own. Doesn’t mean all relationships are doomed.

The SN and NN work in tangent. No need to completely ignore or abhor or fear one in service of the other. The SN is the launching pad. The NN is where we go once launched.

Also remember that the Sag/Gem axis is one that is inherently cerebral in nature. It deals a lot with the mind. So Gemini information gather versus Sag "I know it all" is what is fundamentally at play here. At the end of this period, you will KNOW more about what there is for you to learn i.e. these changes could, for some, play out entirely in your brain.

Notes on the Full Moon in Gemini: November 23rd, 2018

Out from a tumultuous period of retrogrades, from the cosmic weight of planets rolling in the deep of Scorpio, the Full Moon in Gemini now invites us to think our way forward instead of feeling our way around in the dark. The skies are bombastic now, full of opportunities and choices, of adventures and possible foibles. Our hero’s journey sees us out of the dark woods, standing looking upon a vast expanse of land. From Little Red Riding Hood, desperately uncovering the disguised wolves of our lives, trying to make it out alive, to Peter Pan—nimble, cheerful, unending youth and curiosity. It is here where we can be born again into wonder and levity, and their older siblings, rumination and objectivity. This Full Moon will form the backbone of a T-Square, among the most tense configurations in Astrology. And so Gemini comes bearing the gift of flexibility, massaging what is taut, entertaining new and clever ways to hack the system. As Peter Pan said, we can learn to fly using lovely wonderful thoughts, so here we can mitigate any trouble by forging forward with a new set of ideas, and thinking our way into new possibilities.

But be discerning. A retrograde Mercury rules this lunation from 10 degrees of Sagittarius, the sign of its detriment. Add to this, the Moon opposing broad minded Jupiter at 3 degrees of Sagittarius. There is massive potential here for giant thoughts, giant words, enthusiastic conversations and realizations. But, too, is there potential for overlooking details, miscommunication, and generally thinking, saying, and doing *the most--*open mouth, insert foot. The beauty of a Gemini moon is not having to stick to first impressions, triggers, feelings, or impulses—especially the bad ones. Any breakdown in communication, or breakdown in emotion, can become breakthroughs when we learn to see them differently. There are two sides to every story, and with Gemini, maybe even three, four, five. Choose the one that empowers you forward, or exercise those mental muscles until you can. With dignified Jupiter in the picture, conjuncting the Sun with a 3 degree orb, our challenged thoughts and communication can meet an ultimate alchemy. There is nothing too big for Jupiter to heal or help. The bigness that may lend itself to sloppy encounters, can then become a mythic sized redirection of purpose. All you need is a little faith, and trust, and pixie dust.

Teeing up the T-square is Mars, taking up residence at 4 degrees of Pisces after months of back and forth between cerebral Aquarius and calculated Capricorn. Here, martial energies are relaxed, soft, and lacking rigor. Mars in Pisces is compassionate action. Where the past few weeks or months may have laid bare and raw where our lives aren’t working, here Mars comes to assist in spiritual clean up, casting a kinder eye on ourselves and our stories. The drive of Mars may feel diluted in Pisces, like trying to rev a water-logged engine, but all the same is a healing respite. And even the lyrical underwater movements of Pisces can move us forward in subtle ways. So to be sure, there is no resting or stalling when Mars is around, but at least Pisces takes the edge off, as Pisces, boundless and expansive, has no edges. We can look to the apex planet of any T-Square to find relief from the tension of the opposition (here, between the Sun and Moon, Moon and Jupiter). And so Mars reminds us that empathy is our get out of jail free card, that acting on higher minded ideals of universal love and understanding set us free from our smaller, more personal problems. Mars in Pisces is also the lover, the creative, finding the inherent poetry beneath any situation. So dance, cry, write, draw—actively romance your way into loving where you are. Like Pan--If you cannot teach me to fly, teach me to sing! So if you can’t soar above it, learn to love it. And should this sound too airy-fairy Tinkerbell to you, know that Saturn will be sextiling Mars from 7 degrees of Capricorn, substantiating and making practical the healing done here, and helping us make decisions that support our long-term growth.

The Moon, Sun, Mercury, and Mars are all under Jupiter’s rules this lunation, making Jupiter the relevant final dispositor of this chart, this moment in the sky. All actions and reactions, therefore, can be taken in the spirit of, well, high spirits. Even though manic panic planet, Mercury, may seem to threaten the cosmic order we’ve been waiting for, Jupiter looms larger and with optimism. Even Uranus, still opposing Venus in the night sky, is ruled by this positive motivation. So to me, this full moon is expansive and reassuring. Where you teeter totter into overdoing or overlooking or over-feeling things, a Jupiterian caution, Gemini comes in with mental acuity and detachment, with wonder and flexibility, helping you to mind your mind.

Hook: What of Pan? Would unhappy thoughts bring him down?

Wendy: He has no unhappy thoughts.